Alexander is
his own man. Always has been. His first word was “no.” As in
“no, your advice doesn’t suit me; I’ll make my own judgment,
thank you very much.” His first sentence was “I do it.” As in “I
don’t think I’ll be needing your assistance, I’ve got this all
under control if you don’t mind.” This independent spirit has
been the hallmark of his personality, and the key to survival on
Planet Alexander. This boy goes his own way. And if you’ve got
a heading to suggest, you’d better be ready to back it up with a
strong supporting case.

His strength
of spirit has served Alexander well as a cancer patient. But
experience with Leukemia has also tempered his independence with
a growing tenderness and willingness to accept the help of
others. He has always had the level-headed clarity to admit that
some aspects of his treatment suck, and the determination that
he will endure what he must in order to get through it. Over the
last few years, he has also developed the courage to let us know
when he feels overwhelmed. He asks periodically, “is it true
that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger?”